Application of pre-stack reverse time migration based on FWI velocity estimation to ground penetrating radar data

Reverse-time migration (RTM) is used for subsurface imaging to handle complex velocity models including steeply dipping interfaces and dramatic lateral variations and promises better imaging results compared to traditional migration method such as Kirchhoff migration algorithm. RTM has been increasingly used in seismic surveys for hydrocarbon resource explorations. Based on the similarity of kinematics and dynamics between electromagnetic wave and elastic wave, we develop pre-stack RTM method and apply it to process ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Finite-difference time domain (FDTD) numerical method is used to simulate the electromagnetic wave propagation including forward and backward extrapolations, the cross-correlation imaging condition is used to obtain the final image. In order to provide a velocity model with relatively higher accuracy as the initial velocity model for RTM, we apply a full waveform inversion (FWI) in time domain to estimate the subsurface velocity structure based on reflection radar data. For testing the effectiveness of the algorithm, we have constructed a complex geological model, common-offset radar data and common-shot profile (CSP) radar reflection data are synthesized. All data are migrated with traditional Kirchhoff migration method and pre-stack RTM method separately, the migration results from pre-stack RTM show better coincidence with the true model. Furthermore, we have performed a physical experiment in a sandbox where a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) box is buried in the sand, the obtained common-offset radar data and common-shot radar data are migrated by using Kirchhoff migration method and pre-stack RTM algorithm separately, the pre-stack RTM result shows that RTM algorithm could get better imaging results. •A novel pre-stack reverse time migration algorithm for EM wave has been developed.•Velocity model has been successfully estimated by using full waveform inversion.•Estimated velocity model from GPR data is used as the initial model for pre-stack RTM.•The developed migration algorithm is applied to synthetic and measured radar data.•The imaging results from pre-stack RTM show good coincidence with the true model.